Regional Science Center

Red River Valley Water Quality Testing

Introduction

Since 1992, the Regional Science Center has managed the Red River Valley Water Quality Testing Network. The Network currently contains twelve area high schools who twice a year analyze surface water in the watershed of the southern Red River Valley. Each school reports its findings to the network, which then distributes all data to member schools. The sampling and testing skills and analysis has become part of the course-work of the schools' chemistry and environmental science classes. The high schools that are currently participants in the network are: West Fargo, Fargo North, Fargo South, Woodrow Wilson (Fargo), Shanley (Fargo), Moorhead, Breckenridge, Dilworth Glyndon Felton, Detroit Lakes, Perham, Fergus Falls and New York Mills. These schools have found that their studies of the quality of surface water in the Valley is made more meaningful when data from a large number of sites are combined with their class data and they have access to data from previous years sampling. Twice each school year (once in the fall and once in the spring) each school tests the following water quality factors: temperature, pH, turbidity, total solids, nitrates, total phosphates, dissolved oxygen, and biological oxygen demand from a total of 25 sites.

Teachers from schools in the Red River Valley Watershed who are interested in having their science class join the network can call George Davis at 218.477.2904 or email davisg@mnstate.edu.

Site Data by Test

Sample Sites

Bois de Sioux RiverSite 1: Bois de Sioux River: Tyler Bridge 5 miles south of Breckenridge. Tested by Breckenridge High School

Buffalo RiverSite 1: Buffalo River: Origin at the west side of Buffalo Lake, Becker County. Tested by Detroit Lakes High School
Site 2: Buffalo River: Foot bridge at MSUM Regional Science Center's Buffalo River Site southeast of interpretive center. Tested by Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High SchoolSite 3: Buffalo River: Bridge on Clay County Road 18, 1 mile east of Clay County Road 11 then 1 mile north to abandoned bridge. Tested by Moorhead High School

Otter Tail RiverSite 1: Pelican River: Detroit Lakes, about 0.5 miles from its entrance into Big Detroit Lake. Tested by Detroit Lakes High SchoolSite 2: Otter Tail River: St. Lawrence Bridge on highway 14 just before it enters north side of Rush Lake. Tested by New York Mills High SchoolSite 3: Otter Tail River: Bridge at outlet of Rush Lake on Highway 78, South of Perham. Tested by New York Mills High SchoolSite 4: Otter Tail River: River entrance into Mud Lake east of Perham. Tested by Perham High SchoolSite 5: Otter Tail River: Where the river leaves Mud Lake and enters Little Pine Lake. Tested by Perham High SchoolSite 6: Otter Tail River: Where the river leaves Big Pine Lake. Tested by Perham High SchoolSite 7: Otter Tail River: East Lincoln Avenue Bridge next to Pamida Store, Fergus Falls, MN. Tested by Fergus Falls High SchoolSite 8: Otter Tail River: Foxhome Bridge below Orwell Dam. Tested by Breckenridge High SchoolSite 9: Otter Tail River: Bridge south of Foxhome. Tested by Breckenridge High SchoolSite 10: Otter Tail River: Everdell Bridge, Brecklake. Tested by Breckenridge High SchoolSite 11: Otter Tail River: Bridge on the west side of Breckenridge Lake. Tested by Breckenridge High SchoolSite 12: Otter Tail River: 11th street bridge in Breckenridge. Tested by Breckenridge High School

Red RiverSite 1: Red River: 210 by pass bridge north of Breckenridge. Tested by Breckenridge High SchoolSite 2: Red River: Convent Bridge 2 miles east of Frontier, ND. Tested by Fargo South High SchoolSite 3: Red River: Bridge 1.5 miles west of Rustad, ND on Highway, 1.5 miles southeast of Wild Rice, ND. Tested by Woodrow Wilson Community High SchoolSite 4: Red River: 1st Avenue North bridge Downtown Fargo, ND. Tested by Woodrow Wilson Community High SchoolSite 5: Red River: 12th Ave toll bridge, Fargo, ND. Tested by Fargo North High SchoolSite 6: Red River: North Broadway Bridge, Fargo, ND. Tested by Fargo North High SchoolSite 7: Red River: North Fargo bridge over Red River on Cass County Road 20. Tested by Shanley High SchoolSite 8: Red River: Cass County Road 22, 6 miles east of Harwood, ND. Tested by Shanely High School

Sheyenne RiverSite1: Sheyenne River: Bridge 1 mile south of Horace, ND. Tested by Woodrow Wilson Community High SchoolSite 2: Sheyenne River: 12th Avenue Bridge over the Sheyenne River, Fargo ND. Tested by West Fargo High School

Toad RiverSite 1: Toad River: Where it enters Big Pine Lake. Tested by Perham High School

Wild Rice RiverSite 1: Wild Rice River: Bridge 0.5 Miles west of Wild Rice, ND. Tested by Woodrow Wilson Community High School